Certain storage devices lack the ability to automatically transfer computer files from a computing system and require user manipulation to both initiate the process and select the particular files, folders or even entire drives to copy onto the device. Some modern portable media players offer the ability to automatically transfer computer files from a computing system to the portable media player. However, this ability is limited to certain specific folders within the computing system and may be incompatible with accumulating files from multiple systems.
When the number of files becomes significant and/or distributed in various folders and/or drives, the level of user effort required to select and transfer all of the desired files also increases commensurately. This can be an extremely inefficient and effort-intensive process for the user. The problem is further exacerbated when the storage device is shared by more than one computing system. Furthermore, for typical storage devices, the file transfer process must be initiated and, on occasion, monitored and verified by the user (e.g., for identified duplicate files). For large amounts of data, the process may be lengthy, and thus require user attention for long periods of time.